Chapter 27 - 2#
“Mr. Chen, I’m sorry to keep you waiting…”
The moment he pushed the door open, Jing Guanhai’s gaze froze on a wheelchair. The silhouette of the person sitting in it was far too familiar, cutting off his polite pleasantries mid-sentence.
Chen Yiming met Jing Guanhai’s stunned expression, rising to feign a welcome. “Boss Jing, you’re finally here. This is the person I mentioned earlier—my direct superior—”
Jing Shun silently turned his wheelchair, looking at Jing Guanhai with not a trace of warmth or light in his eyes.
Chen Yiming emphasized, “Mr. Jing Shun.”
The glass door behind them slid shut automatically, the sound landing heavily on Jing Guanhai’s heart.
He stared at Jing Shun in the wheelchair in disbelief, then took several slow seconds to look at his partner, Zhao Feng, only to find the latter’s face also dark with anger.
“What—what does this mean?”
Jing Guanhai voiced his question, trying to suppress Jing Shun with the authority of a father. “Jing Shun, what are you doing at my studio for no reason?”
Jing Shun heard his tone and found it laughable. “What are you panicking about? Just because you’re allowed to go to my film crew’s production company and take money, doesn’t mean I’m not allowed to bring people here to discuss cooperation?”
“What cooperation are you even talking about?”
Realizing he had walked into a trap, Jing Guanhai struck first. “You’ve really grown wings these past few years, haven’t you? You dare to mess with your own father?”
Chen Yiming, mindful of Chi Gui’s instructions, immediately stepped in front of Jing Shun to block Jing Guanhai.
“What do you think you’re doing?”
As Chi Gui’s executive assistant, Chen Yiming had been through many big situations over the past four years. He usually wore a smile, but when he put on a stern face, he could mimic his boss’s aura by about sixty to seventy percent.
Jing Guanhai was shorter than Chen Yiming and was intimidated by his presence.
Chen Yiming kept his eyes fixed on Jing Guanhai and stopped pretending. “By the way, I’ve already told President Zhao all about our little ‘kickback cooperation’ in private.”
Jing Guanhai immediately denied it. “Don’t you dare slander me here!”
He quickly turned to Zhao Feng, who was still seated, and tried to argue. “Old Zhao, don’t listen to their nonsense. Jing Shun and I had a falling out a while back, and this bastard is just here to make trouble for me!”
“We haven’t even signed a contract or made any payments yet!” Jing Guanhai’s Adam’s apple bobbed as if he had convinced himself of this story. “What kickbacks? It’s pure bullshit!”
Jing Shun sneered. “The payment for this cooperation hasn’t been made? Then how do you explain the kickbacks from the previous cooperation payments?”
As soon as he said this, Zhao Feng stood up and flung a thick stack of delivery order evidence onto the table. “Old Jing! I wanted to bring you into business together out of old friendship, but this is how you repay me?”
“For the past half year, I’ve been busting my ass managing client relationships for the studio’s orders, while you’ve been stabbing me in the back, skimming off payments and kickbacks!”
“If it weren’t for Xiao Jing showing up today with the evidence, how much longer would I have been kept in the dark?”
In six months, Jing Guanhai had pocketed a six-figure sum!
Jing Guanhai bore the brunt of his friend’s anger, grabbing one of the sheets at random. He saw clearly the transaction data between him and an e-commerce company he had previously worked with—
The actual equipment prices, setup costs, inflated equipment quotes, and the client’s payments—all clearly marked!
“…”
Impossible! This couldn’t be!
How could it be listed this clearly?
Alarms blared in Jing Guanhai’s mind. He scrambled for an excuse to explain himself. “These—these are all fake!”
“Old Zhao, the studio’s financial records aren’t under my control! You can see every payment that comes in!”
“…”
Jing Shun watched coldly as the man before him lost his composure, offering no reaction.
Two weeks earlier, Chen Yiming’s background check had mentioned Jing Guanhai’s booming “career.” Knowing him well, Jing Shun had sensed there was something shady going on.
So he asked Chi Gui for help, setting up a seemingly large new e-commerce company as a front. Then he had Chen Yiming pose as the company’s procurement officer and “come knocking with a big order.”
Just as expected, Jing Guanhai took the bait immediately.
To achieve his own ends, he even privately took Chen Yiming out to dinner.
Following Jing Shun’s instructions, Chen Yiming pretended to agree to the kickback arrangement and, through flattery, got Jing Guanhai to name all the client companies he had worked with before.
Finally, Chi Gui had people investigate each company Jing Guanhai had mentioned, and the evidence of transaction irregularities was easily laid out on paper.
Chen Yiming helped “explain.” “Boss Jing, you didn’t forget what you told me, did you?”
“You said the payments could be split into several installments into the studio account, and the technical setup fees could be paid to you as a ‘final payment,’ which you’d then skim off before transferring to the company account.”
“Since it’s a small studio and you’re one of the partners, as long as the equipment amounts match on the financial side, no one would suspect you.”
“Before that meeting, Xiao Jing also told me to record the whole conversation. Want me to play it for President Zhao now?”
“…”
Jing Guanhai had nothing to say. He just glared viciously at Jing Shun in the wheelchair.
He hadn’t expected this entire setup to be a trap to force him to reveal himself—and that his own son was the mastermind behind it!
Just as the atmosphere reached a stalemate, the reception room door was knocked on.
A staff member stood at the door and said, “President Zhao, President Jing, something’s wrong! Jia Li, Mrs. Li, just barged in, and she’s fighting with Xue Baoshuang in the break room!”
One crisis after another!
Jing Guanhai’s breath caught, and he braced himself to rush out.
Zhao Feng frowned, but worried Jing Guanhai might use this chance to escape, he quickly chased after him to see what was happening.
Jing Shun sat quietly in his wheelchair, glancing down at his watch—
2:35 PM.
Perfect timing.
Chen Yiming asked, “Xiao Jing, want to go out and watch the show?”
Seeing the situation developing as he had intended, Jing Shun put on a detached smile. “Of course. Let’s take a good look.”
…
In the break room, wails filled the air.
Xue Baoshuang crouched by the table, protecting her head and screaming frantically, while Yuan Jiali, at peak anger, rained fists and kicks down on her. Nearby employees wanted to intervene but didn’t know where to start.
Jing Guanhai ran over, trying to pull Yuan Jiali away. “Ali, what are you doing now?”
Out-of-control Yuan Jiali turned her head, saw him, and slapped him across the face.
—Smack!
Yuan Jiali shouted, “What am I doing? Jing Guanhai, you’ve been renting an apartment for this woman behind my back, spending money on her—do you even have a conscience?”
Oh my god!
The real wife had come to catch the mistress!
Now the employees who were about to break up the fight froze, all retreating to the back to watch.
Jing Guanhai’s right cheek instantly burned with pain.
Sensing the gazes of the gathered staff at the door, he flew into a rage and shoved Yuan Jiali to the ground. “Are you crazy?!”
“Ah!”
Yuan Jiali hit the corner of the tea cabinet, the impact stinging.
Xue Baoshuang, thinking she had found a protector, let her earlier deflated arrogance swell back up. “That’s right! Stop spouting nonsense here, woman!”
“You were the mistress who climbed your way up back then! Now you’re having delusions, coming after me?”
“I’ll tear that mouth of yours apart!”
Yuan Jiali ignored the pain in her elbow and lunged at the pair again like a madwoman.
The employees watched, dumbfounded.
Zhao Feng arrived just in time. “What are you looking at! Everyone, disperse!”
He squeezed into the break room, taking in the tea bags and coffee grounds scattered all over the floor, and the two women tangled up in a fight. He was at a loss for what to do.
Then, he heard a staff member behind him say, “How did the police get here? Who called the cops?”
The police officers who had just entered heard the commotion, exchanged glances, and quickly moved to break it up. “What’s going on! Stop fighting! Police!”
“…”
“…”
Yuan Jiali’s face was flushed red, her hair a mess. She was reluctantly pulled to her feet.
Jing Guanhai wasn’t in much better shape.
The slap mark on his face was already swelling, and the side of his neck had a scratch—probably from someone’s nails—that was bleeding, making him look particularly pathetic.
Zhao Feng quickly stepped forward. “Officers, I’m the owner of this studio. May I ask what this is about?”
He had been planning to report Jing Guanhai for illegally misappropriating company funds, but he hadn’t gotten around to it yet. Why were the police here already?
“Oh.”
The officer produced his badge. “Who is Jing Guanhai? And Yuan Jiali?”
Hearing this, Zhao Feng gave a subtle hint with his eyes.
The lead officer confirmed his targets. “We received a report that you two are suspected of illegally claiming compensation funds and committing fraud. Please cooperate and come with us!”
Two other officers immediately moved in, flanking Jing Guanhai and Yuan Jiali.
“…”
Still reeling from the previous shock, Jing Guanhai said, “No, there must be some mistake. What fraud?”
Yuan Jiali was frozen stiff, but she reacted faster. “That money wasn’t claimed by me! It was my husband! He claimed his eldest son’s compensation on his behalf!”
Jing Guanhai roared, “Woman! That money was in your account!”
Yuan Jiali screamed back, “But you gave it to me! It’s all your fault! All your fault!”
What now?
If she went in, what would happen to Yangyang?
Regret and fear washed over her like a tidal wave. Before Yuan Jiali could figure out a response,
Chen Yiming seized the moment and stepped forward to confess. “Officer, I filed the report on behalf of my boss. All the evidence has already been submitted to your station in advance.”
“If needed, I am available to cooperate with the follow-up investigation.”
“Mm.”
The lead officer recognized Chen Yiming’s face from the report, gave a slight nod, and then signaled the accompanying officers to escort the couple out.
Jing Guanhai was shoved out of the break room.
His peripheral vision caught Jing Shun, who was watching the spectacle, and he belatedly realized what was happening.
“Jing Shun!”
Jing Guanhai could no longer control his rage, shouting for all to hear. “I’m your father! And you’re actually colluding with outsiders to set me up! You unfilial son!”
The officers quickly pulled him back. “What are you doing! Calm down!”
Jing Guanhai lunged toward Jing Shun, but the officers held him fast, preventing any further action.
Jing Shun rolled his wheelchair forward to meet Jing Guanhai’s furious glare, studying the face that was both familiar and alien from his memories. He raised his hand and threw a punch.
Thud!
The sudden blow stunned everyone present. Jing Guanhai’s head rang with the impact, his anger itself seeming to freeze.
An officer reminded him, “Comrade, please mind your behavior!”
Jing Shun gave a slight nod, as if addressing them:
“When I was little, my dad used to document my daily life very frequently. He’d let me curl up on his shoulder to sleep, he’d buy my favorite dog from the film crew, he’d cook lots of good food for me, he’d treat me well.”
“He would say, Xiao Jing, you’re your father’s pride.”
Jing Guanhai’s expression wavered. He fell silent.
“…”
“But who are you? You never cared about my health anymore. You only secretly took my compensation money. You’d stand by and let your younger son pour juice on me, listen to him call me a cripple, a bastard.”
“You even said to me, ‘What’s the difference between you now and being disabled?’”
“…”
Jing Guanhai’s shoulders sagged completely.
The image of young Jing Shun surfaced in his mind, and belated regret and a dull ache rose in his chest. “Xiao Jing, I—”
Jing Shun cut him off. “You’re not him. I don’t have a father like you, so don’t bother offering any kind of hypocritical apologies or repentance. It only disgusts me!”
“All your regret now is just because you know you’re about to pay the price, so you’re squeezing it out!”
Crocodile tears were the most fake of all.
“Jing Guanhai, I will never acknowledge you as my father again.”
Jing Shun’s gaze held no warmth, only the cold hardness of a stranger. “I gave you chances. You just didn’t take them seriously.”
Since that was the case, let the police and the law teach them how to be human. From now on, he never wanted anything to do with this couple again!